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TESTIMONY OF THE REV. N. COLLIN. 33
dages. There he received company. Not seldom he
also appeared in public, and mixed in private societies ;
therefore, sufficient opportunities were given to make
observation on him. I collected much information from
several respectable persons who had conversed with him ;
which was the more easy, as I lived the whole time, as
private tutor, in the family of Dr. Celsius, a gentleman
of distinguished talents, who afterwards became bishop of
Scania : he and many of the eminent persons that fre
quented his house knew Swedenborg well.
" In the summer of 1766, I waited on him at his
house ; introducing myself, with an apology for the
freedom I took ; assuring him that it was not in the least
from youthful presumption, (I was then twenty,) but
from a strong desire of conversing with a character so
celebrated. He received me very kindly. It being early
in the afternoon, delicate coffee, without eatables, was
served, agreeably to the Swedish custom : he was also, like
pensive men in general, fond of this beverage. We
conversed for nearly three hours; principally on the
nature of human souls, and their states in the invisible
world ; discussing the principal theories of psychology,
by various authors ; among them the celebrated Dr.
Wallerius, late Professor of Natural Theology at Upsal.
He asserted positively, as he often does in his works, that
he had intercourse with spirits of deceased persons. I
presumed, therefore, to request of him as a great favour,
to procure me an interview with my brother, who had
departed this life a few months before, a young clergy
man officiating in Stockholm, and esteemed for his
devotion, erudition and virtue. He answered, that GOD
having for wise and good purposes separated the world
of spirits from ours, a communication is never granted
without cogent reasons ; and asked what my motives
I confessed that I had none besides gratifying
brotherly affection, and an ardent wish to explore scenes
so sublime and interesting to a serious mind. He replied,
that my motives were good, but not sufficient ; that if
any important spiritual or temporal concern of mine
were.
C 2
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